Lead wool or solid lead sheets (or blankets) are used in nuclear facilities, such as power plants or navy nuclear ships, as radiation shielding materials. Lead blankets are typically formed from a woven lead core, covered by and sometimes secured to an outer cover, such as a plastic material. The periphery of the outer cover typically is sewn together and metal grommets generally are mounted in the periphery.
The lead blankets are draped or hung over or against areas in the nuclear facilities which are to be shielded. The lead blankets are secured by cables or hooks which are inserted through the metal grommets to support the lead blankets in the desired location.
Once the lead blankets have been contaminated by radiation they must be disposed according to appropriate contamination guidelines. For example, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) dictates guidelines for disposing of contaminated lead. Under RCRA, because the lead is a potentially hazardous material, a lead blanket contaminated by radiation becomes a “Mixed Hazardous Waste” which is more difficult to dispose than regular hazardous material. Lead itself used in a work environment may also require following potentially difficult or expensive guidelines. For example, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has guidelines for preventing workers from coming into contact with lead and for requiring monitoring of lead exposure. Other problems exist with conventional lead blankets. For example, lead blankets are not sufficiently flexible to allow wrapping the blankets around small size piping and tubing.